Bob Cole will retain his seat for a fifth term as the District 2 Commissioner in Santa Rosa County after handily defeating his opponent.

Cole had 53,540 votes, or about 73 percent, while no-party affiliated candidate Kris Long had 19,868 votes, which is about 27 percent, according to unofficial results from the Santa Rosa County Supervisor of Elections.

Cole, an automotive technician and owner of Bob Cole's Automotive, told the News Journal last month that his biggest priorities as commissioner will be the construction of a new judicial center, leveraging BP oil spill funding and drainage and road projects.

"As a current serving County Commissioner, I have been with our citizens and staff, and have worked alongside the other members of the board through hurricanes, flooding and bad economic times, and now in what we see as exciting growth and good economic times for Santa Rosa County," Cole said.

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Election records show Cole raised just more than $73,000 in the race. Long, his opponent, raised $6,915.

In the August primary, Cole won with more than 60 percent of the vote over Tammy Jo Brown (30 percent) and Wallis Mahute (9 percent). That was the same primary in which fellow incumbent Rob Williamson was defeated by challenger David Piech.